Despite commitments from Minister Ryan, it has been confirmed that the National Broadband Scheme is suffering more delays with the signing of the contract for the scheme, according to Fine Gael Deputy Michael Ring.
“At every stage of the development, tendering process, decision-making process and now the contract signing for the National Broadband Scheme, we have seen delays. We are seeing either incompetence or lack of priority by Minister Eamon Ryan and his department in rolling out broadband to areas that don’t have it. Either way it is unacceptable.
“We are now being told that ‘hopefully’ the contract for the National Broadband Scheme will be signed before Christmas. People have been waiting to get the National Broadband Scheme up and running for long enough.
“It seems the only way to get movement and priority on the National Broadband Scheme is to continuously badger the minister, which is what Fine Gael has been doing for the last year.
“Broadband provision is a key facilitator for economic renewal in Ireland and for helping stimulate job creation and business. It should be top on the Government’s priority list as opposed to an area where they continue to drag their feet. We’ve already seen the Government cut its broadband budget for next year by 20 per cent and are suffering delay after delay on the National Broadband Scheme.
“The locations in Mayo that have been given to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for consideration under the National Broadband Scheme include Ballycroy, Glenamoy, Hollymount, Killadoon and Tourmakeady among others,” concluded Dep Ring.
